Google Form for the Selection of Ram Temple Trust CEO Asks Whether You're Vegetarian, Wear 'Janeu', Keep 'Shikha'

New Delhi: A Google form with 34 queries required to be filled, including whether one is a vegetarian or not, is among one of the steps being followed to hire for the post of first full-time chief executive officer (CEO) of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, reported the Hindustan Times. 

According to the report, questions such as “do you keep shikha (tuft), do you wear a janeu (sacred thread), are you pure vegetarian or do you eat non-vegetarian food, do you consume alcohol or are you a teetotaller, are you a staunch Hindu” were part of the Google form.

As reported earlier by the Indian Express, 18 candidates have been shortlisted out of 5,000 applications by the three-member committee entrusted with the task of selecting the next Ram temple Trust CEO. 

Some of the Key Responsibility Areas (KRAs) outlined for the role of CEO include: Managing the legal, administrative and financial affairs related to the Trust; ensuring Trust complies with Trust Deed requirements, and ensuring financial transparency.

The Wire has reported earlier that following a tweet in June 2026 by Akhilesh Yadav, former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, several other complainants, including former karsevak Santosh Dubey had alleged embezzlement of temple trust funds. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government on June 17 had in its interim report concluded that “prime facie, it appears certain employees responsible for counting the donations were involved in the theft and embezzlement of cash.” Later, eight people were arrested for the alleged embezzlement of funds.

Meanwhile, Lucknow-based former IPS officer Amitabh Thakur who is now national president of the political party Azad Adhikar Sena, has written a letter to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust demanding transparency in the ongoing selection process.

In his letter dated August 11, 2026, Thakur who had also applied for the position of CEO wrote: “I don’t have any personal complaint whether I’m selected or not. However, considering such a high number of applications which were received, it’s but natural to expect that at least the names of those shortlisted should be made public.” The letter has also demanded that the procedures followed with respect to the selection of a particular candidate who has made it to the shortlist should also be revealed.

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